Always Come for You
by Regularamanda
Summary: Jack will always come for Sam, no matter what stands in his way. TAG to 'Desperate Measures'.


_Author's Note- Majorsal came up with this idea over at Gateworld. And since she *refused* to turn it into a fic…I did. Super thanks to her for graciously allowing me to write it! This is mostly her idea and I threw my little spin on it as well. I hope I did justice to it! Enjoy!_

**Always Come for You**

Colonel Jack O'Neill kept repeating two words in his head over and over again. _She's okay, she's okay, she's okay. _He thought to himself. A minute too late and she would be gone. A minute was all that would have separated her from life and death. All that would have separated her from him forever. If traffic had been heavy getting there, if he hadn't followed his instinct and went into that room, if Daniel had taken a few more minutes longer trying to figure out what hospital to go to…if he would have been one minute longer, 30 seconds even.

He would have lost her, and with her, he would have lost his heart.

Jack walked out of the room, with Sam close behind him. As he looked over his shoulder he noticed something. He had been too relieved that she was okay to realize that she had lied to him. She _wasn't _okay. Her hands were shaking.

Jack turned around and grasped her by her forearms.

"You okay?" Jack asked concerned.

"Yes sir." She said like a tough little soldier that she was. Tears were in her eyes.

"Your hands are shaking." Jack whispered.

Sam glanced at them and she sighed. She couldn't hide anything from Jack's watchful eyes.

Her shoulders slumped in defeat. And she closed her eyes against the pain.

Jack looked at her for a moment. He'd put some distance between them ever since he'd been forced to shoot her with a zat a few months before. But he wasn't going to let that happen. Not again.

"C'mere." He said as he pulled her close into the circle of his arms. Sam rested her head on his chest and a tear spilled out of her eyes and onto his shirt. Jack wrapped his arms around her shoulders and stroked her hair. He needed this as much as she did. Needed to fully convince himself that she was okay. Needed proof that she was alive and well. Needed physical contact with the woman he loved. She'd only been missing a few days but it had seemed like an eternity. A lifetime of worry and heartache, wondering if she was alive, if she was okay. Wondering where the hell she was and how to find her.

"I thought I'd lost you…if I would have been a few minutes later…" Jack whispered into her hair. He closed his eyes against his thoughts, the pain in his heart too much to bear.

"I didn't think you were coming for me." She whispered back.

The words were like a bullet into his heart. Words he never in a million years wanted to hear for her. They were enough to eat him up inside. Enough to form tears in his own eyes.

"I will always come for you." He promised. "Always."

Always, no matter what circumstances separated them. No matter what stood in his way, he'd come for her. He would never leave her behind. He'd do everything in his power to get her back, like he had done these last few days. Follow every possible path that might lead him back to her. He'd got to hell and back for her if that's what it took.

They didn't do this, talk about things like this. But death had been so close this time. So damn close.

"Thank you sir." She said.

Jack smiled into her hair, relishing the softness against his cheek.

Sam pulled away and Jack brushed away strands of her short blonde hair out of her face. He gave her a crooked smile and asked "Better?"

Sam smiled slightly at him and nodded her head. "Yes."

Jack glanced down at their joined hands and saw that both of their hands were still trembling. She'd almost had her life snuffed out and he'd almost lost the person who owned his heart.

"We better…" Jack said clearing his throat. Sam dropped his hands.

He took a step back and sighed, the façade that he wore fell back into the place. The façade that said she was just a colleague, a friend. Nothing more. But his feelings for her could never be erased from his eyes. The eyes were the windows to the heart. And his heart was full of love for this woman. And that was something that no amount of separation could ever erase.

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_Author's Note- Thanks for reading and if you feel so inclined leave me a review!_


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